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Debbie Presnell

Inspiring women and teens to shine
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Life is a journey—sometimes we’re on the mountain top and other times we’re in the valley. Regardless, let’s shine together. Subscribe Now

    Tagged: Psalms 87:7

  • Looking For Joy In All The Wrong Places Dec. 15, 2022 / 0 Comments

    I recently read an article that listed forty ways to discover joy. God was number forty on the list. The thirty-nine suggestions placed before God,…

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    • Plans, Dreams, and Goals … Oh My!
    • What Are You Waiting For? Something to Begin or Something to End?
    • Parents: 10 Ways to Support your Child’s Teacher

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    • Debbie Presnell on Plans, Dreams, and Goals … Oh My!
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    • Follow up to yesterday's post, which is one of my Follow up to yesterday's post, which is one of my very favorite stories! I need to say "thank you" to my children for providing me so many lessons. Shine on!
    TRUE story … Covered in a mixture of chocolate ice TRUE story … Covered in a mixture of chocolate ice cream and dirt, five-year-old Will came running into the house screaming with excitement. “Mom, Dad, I found a bird egg!” he proudly declared. “It’s white with bluish-gray speckles.” After chatting about God’s creation, my husband and I explained the egg needed to go back in the nest so its mother could take care of it. Will left to return the egg to its nest. Within moments, however, he came back into the kitchen. “Mom, I didn’t get to put the egg back.” His mouth hung open in surprise. “I don’t know what happened. I put the egg in my pocket and then . . . something strange happened . . . and there’s a … baby bird!” he finally said. TRUTH! A baby bird hatched in my son’s pocket. Will and Dad settled the baby bird back into its nest right away. Later that night I found Will’s pants on the washing machine. I pulled the pocket inside out and there it was — evidence that new life had begun. Fragments of eggshells and blood filled the pocket lining. Alone in the dimly lit laundry room, I stood silent. If I hadn’t seen the evidence, I wouldn’t have believed it. New life began in my son’s pants pocket. As I continued to observe my heart felt a gentle impression that asked, What about you? Is there evidence God has put new life in you? Evidence. Fruit … what spills out of us when we’re pushed, confronted, exposed. Galatians 5:22 – 23 tells us, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law” (NKJV). Is there evidence that you have new life? As we move closer to Jesus and walk with Him every day, fruit will emerge naturally. Copyrighted @www.debbiepresnell.com
    A follow up to yesterday's post. What we focus on A follow up to yesterday's post. What we focus on makes a difference. Let's look at what is worthwhile. Love you!
    Do you strive to focus on worthy aspirations, yet Do you strive to focus on worthy aspirations, yet become distracted by worthless desires or activities? In this broken world, it’s easy to do. When my children were living at home and they wanted to go to a movie with friends, I selected a verse to help them decide about attending. Psalm 101:3 says, “I will set no worthless thing before my eyes.” Participating in the decision process made them feel empowered and respected. One night I passed this verse on to my youngest child and then asked him to read the reviews about a movie he wanted to see, which contained foul language. After reading the reviews he said, “What a waste of money to sit there with my fingers in my ears the whole time!” Nine times in Psalm 101 David said, “I will.” He had s strong desire to be faithfully committed. But his behavior didn’t always reflect his desire, and sometimes he failed to live righteously. We have the same problem. We strive to focus on worthy aspirations, yet we become distracted by worthless desires. With God’s help, however, our priorities, the people we admire, and how we use our time, will be worthy of our attention. Philippians 4:8 tells us, “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” What worthwhile activities do you participate in? What, if anything, is worthless? Copyrighted@www.debbiepresnell.com
    I’ll never forget years ago, when I was invited to I’ll never forget years ago, when I was invited to a conference and God showed me this truth. In preparation for my weekend trip, I asked God to use my time away to teach me what direction I should go with regards to impending decisions. When I arrived at the hotel, I was given a room on the twenty-eighth floor. After settling in, I opened my Bible and prayed. Three hours passed. I was looking for an epiphany but received no answers. I closed my Bible, then pulled up a comfy chair and peered out the large picture window that framed a breathtaking sunset. From that height, I could see for miles. Then my attention was drawn below to a traffic jam on the interstate. The road was gridlocked, and cars were backed up for miles. Sirens wailed and emergency vehicles sped by. Instead of the anticipated peaceful view, I saw a disaster on the highway. As cars approached the entrance ramp, I wanted to warn them. From my bird’s-eye view, I saw both impending dangers and the better route. I wanted to shout warnings such as: • “Slow down, you don’t know what’s coming!” • “If you keep going, you’ll wind up in stopped traffic, with no way out!” • “Hold up! There’s a wreck ahead, and you’re about to wind up in it!” • “If you knew what I know, you’d go the other way!” God then whispered to my heart: “You sound like Me. I know what’s on your path. I see impending danger. I know roadblocks that have popped up in your life. I also know about potential wrecks waiting to happen. You can trust Me completely to help you find the best route.” God did teach me. No matter how things look from a human perspective, God knows the right path and what lies in our future. We can ask God for wisdom, knowledge, and understanding (Proverbs 2:6). Even when it seems we’re driving in the dark, we can trust that God knows what He’s doing. As God orchestrates the circumstances, we’ll learn the right way to go. Copyrighted @www.debbiepresnell.com.
    As a follow up from yesterday's post I want to sha As a follow up from yesterday's post I want to share this verse with you. Isn't this verse beautiful? Keep shining!

    Debbie Presnell

    Inspiring women and teens to shine
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